Even though indoor target shooting range is a controlled, non-lethal environment, there are rules to follow. Rules are not meant to make shooting less appealing. It’s meant for safety of the practitioners to make the activity fun and rewarding. Rules are to cater to the real needs of the premises and users.
Each and every shooting range varies in design, but there are similarities. Shooters must stand before the firing lane and the targets are set afar from them but reachable by their weapons’ maximum firing range. That’s why, some ranges set different shooting practice areas for pistols, rifles, shotguns, etc. Others automatically move the targets in relative to the weapon’s effective maximum range.
For handgun range, the distance between the target and the shooter must be 14 to 91 meters. Sometimes submachine guns are included in this range. The rifle range should be at 91 meters. Ear and eye protection are to be provided by the owner of the gun range. They can be bought, rented or given for free depending on the store’s policy.
Most targets for shooting range are made of paper or cardboard. These materials are very cheap and easy to dispose. They are also with shooters since the flat surface displays the hitting points clearly at a far distance. Paper-like materials are very light weight. This makes them easy to attach to the target holder as well as taking them away.
Other shooting ranges set up dummies instead. They can be an effigy of a real human being or something else. Dummy targets tend to be found more on outdoor gun ranges than the indoor types. Dummy materials may be quite expensive, but shooters find it fun to practice with their weapons on them.
Combat-style shooting, cowboy action shooting and holster drawing are often not allowed in both indoor and outdoor shooting ranges; except when held in specially designed areas which provide additional safety measures and equipment. The rules can be quite strict here, since these actions can be very risky and deadly if not monitored well.
It’ fun to practice with your favorite guns. But half of that fun is to follow safety rules.
Gun Shooting Sport 